Updating a wedding gown

The dress in the picture above was remade by the bride and we have to say that it looks fantastic.

Some wedding dresses are so classic that they will stand the test of time decades later. Take for example the dress worn by Grace Kelly on her wedding day. On the other hand, if your mum got married in the 1980’s her gown was probably all puffball sleeves and ruffles, a real meringue!

In that case you’ll almost certainly want to alter the wedding dress to bring it up to date. You might have a different figure from your mum and need to have it taken in or let out in places. Maybe you’re taller so you need to think about the length.

If you aren’t keen on chopping about your mum’s dress too much, you could just pick out some of the fabric to have used in your own gown. For example, maybe some beading could be reworked into your bodice. A good dressmaker will be able to take a look and advise you.

What condition is the dress in?

If your mum’s wedding dress has been tucked away in a box for around a quarter of a century, then it’s not going to look as fresh and bright as the day it was worn. In addition, wedding gowns are made up of delicate lace and can rip or the netting can come away. You need to get your mother’s dress out of storage and take a good look at it. Most wedding dresses will need to be ‘wet-washed’ if they are going to be worn again and some of the fabric may have perished – which can easily happen with fine silk. Again, take the gown to a wedding dress specialist and see what they have to say.

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Will wearing your mum’s dress save you money?

The answer is probably not. You can buy some fabulous dresses off the peg in the High Street these days and by the time you have cleaned and altered your mum’s dress you’ll probably have spent enough for a new gown anyway. So don’t decide to wear her gown because you think it will be the cheaper option!

Classic areas to update

The parts of the dress that are most likely to have dated down the years are:

The neckline

The waist

The sleeves

The bodice

Talk to your seamstress about how you can alter these to bring the design into the 21st century!

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